How Stories Can Open New Doors For You Too!

Back on April 27th, I received an inquiry from one of my newsletter subscribers. I’ll call her Anne. Anne and I talked about her job search issues. She told me about her background, including her recent training in interior design. Here’s what I remembered about her interior design experience from that brief part of our conversation: Her design instructor told her she had perfect color sense. She helped a friend’s father who was disappointed with a color consultation from an expert. The father was thrilled with Anne’s suggestions.

10 weeks later, my friend Lorraine told me she was experiencing color angst about her livingroom. Anne immediately sprang to my mind. I told Lorraine about her perfect color sense. And, I arranged for them to meet. Lorraine was very pleased with Anne’s help, including her suggestions on how to change the furniture arrangement too.

I remembered Anne because she told me those two stories.Here’s why:

She was specific about her interior design expertise – color.

She described herself from another’s point of view – her instructor. That made her statement sound credible.

She told me about how she fixed problems – the father’s disappointment when he hired a color expert.

It was the sum total of both stories that really convinced me of her skills. Had she simply said she took an interior design course, I wouldn’t have remembered her expertise nor would I have asked her to help Lorraine.

So, what does this have to do with interviews? It proves that carefully crafted stories stay memorable weeks or even months after they’re told. Anne’s ability to describe her specific expertise in convincing ways opened up a new opportunity for her. And, using interview stories can open new doors for you too.